POLITICO: Who aced (and flunked) the commissioner hearings? Here’s what our insiders have to say.

14 November 2024

Our team of policy reporters dissect what you need to know about Brussels’ biggest event of the year.

t’s a wrap!

Over the past week, the European Parliament’s specialist committees subjected each of the EU’s 26 wannabe commissioners to a three-hour grilling to probe (in theory, at least) their credentials for overseeing EU policymaking.

While the final verdict is largely determined by political machinations behind the scenes, Parliament was poised to reject anyone who delivered a poor performance — and Brussels policy wonks were watching closely for any hints of what the next five years have in store.

In one sense, the recipe for success was simple: Show off any language skills, be respectful to the Parliament, and above all don’t make any spending promises.

But it was also a trial by fire for the commissioners-in-waiting, who had seven weeks to beef up their understanding of the portfolios bestowed on them by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Were they able to talk eloquently about the nitty-gritty of the issues on their patch, or did Parliament’s lawmakers — many of whom have spent years deep in Europe’s policy weeds — expose major gaps in the candidates’ knowledge?

 

full list at POLITICO


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